FitBark wags its way into nationwide retailer

The deal will place its product in front of millions of consumers each year at Target’s nearly 1,800 U.S. locations. FitBark’s animal tracking device will be featured among Target’s new “Connected-Life” section, which features other Internet-enabled products such as wireless thermostat Nest and Belkin’s wireless light switch.

“It’s been super exciting,” FitBark CEO Davide Rossi said. “We’re transitioning from early-adopters to become more mainstream. … This really allows us to reach a larger number of folks and potential buyers and to ship way more products.”

FitBark, which relocated to Kansas City after being a part of the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator’s inaugural class, also sells its tracker in Best Buy stores in Canada. Rossi now is a member of the Pipeline Entrepreneurial Fellowship program.

FitBark allows pet owners to attach its device to a dog’s collar to begin tracking its activity, monitor its movement, set health goals and take action on any health issues. The data is transmitted to a user’s app, which provides a dashboard of the dog’s activity and performance.

Reaching potentially millions of consumers through the Target deal, however, comes with new challenges, Rossi said. In addition to fulfilling online orders, FitBark now must meet in-store demand.

“This comes with new responsibilities,” he said. “You not only have the folks that have been cheering us along on Kickstarter as we develop the product, but now we have folks buying this as a gift. … It comes with more responsibilities to support our customers.”

To meet consumer demand, Rossi said Fitbark now is hiring for three positions, which can be viewed here. He added that Kansas City has been helpful and supportive of its mission to revolutionize animal health.

“We’re really happy with the decision to move the company here,” Rossi said. “The folks, institutions and associations in Kansas City have just been phenomenal. We’ve been very blessed.”

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